CAN IT HAPPEN? - Watch Jerusalem · King Hezekiah’s Jerusalem 6 The Hebrew Year 5781—or Is It? 1 1 infographic Hezekiah Was Here 14 The Gezer Calendar 19 The Beirut Blast: Catalyst

The Beirut BlastA Summer of Discoveries

Peace With the Arabs CAN IT HAPPEN?

September-October 2020

from the editor Peace With the Arabs—Can It Happen? 1

A Summer of Discoveries From King Hezekiah’s Jerusalem 6

The Hebrew Year 5781—or Is It? 1 1

infographic Hezekiah Was Here 14

The Gezer Calendar 19

The Beirut Blast: Catalyst for Biblical Prophecy 21

America Shrinks Presence in Iraq, Iran Celebrates 28

From left: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani and U.A.E. Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at the signing ceremony for the agreements on "normalization of relations" at the White House on September 15. (THE WHITE HOUSE/TIA DUFOUR/ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES)

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U.A.E. Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister NetanyahuSEP T EMBER-OCTOBER 2020 | VOL . 2, NO. 5 | circul ation: 1,161

T he historic peace deals between Israel and Gulf states reveal a profound change taking place in the Middle East. It appears that, 72 years after it became a sovereign nation, Israel is finally being accepted by its Arab neighbors.

On August 13, United States President Donald Trump shocked the world when he announced the full normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Termed the Abraham Accords, this groundbreaking agreement means the U.A.E. will now treat the Jewish state the same way it treats other nations.

Less than a month later, on September 15, Bahrain announced it too was willing to normalize ties with Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu jubilantly announced the deal, stating, “It took us 26 years to go from the second peace agreement with an Arab state [with Jordan in 1994] to reach a third peace agreement [with the U.A.E.]. And it took us not 26 years, but 29 days to go from a third peace agreement with an Arab country to a fourth one. And there will be more.”

Already, swift changes have occurred. There are now direct phone calls between Israel and these Gulf nations. Israeli websites can now be accessed from the U.A.E. and Bahrain. Trade deals are being negotiated. A security partnership, which has developed quietly in recent years to counter the threat of Iran, is now public.

Despite all the celebration, Bible prophecy makes it clear that this is not the

time for lasting peace in the Middle East. By Gerald Flurry

Peace With the Arabs—

Can It Happen?

september-october 2020 1

from the editor | Gerald Flurry

SEAN GALLUP/GETTY IMAGES, MICHELE TANTUSSI/GETTY IMAGES, ISTOCK.COM/ OLEKSII LISKONIH

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On August 31, the first commercial flight from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv landed in the U.A.E. Remarkably, Saudi Arabia allowed the El Al jet to fly through its airspace. Tal Becker, one of the pilots, stated over the intercom, “[F]or the very first time, an Israeli-registered aircraft will overfly Saudi Arabia, and, after a nonstop flight from Israel, land in the United Arab Emirates. The duration of the flight with the shortened route over Saudi Arabia will be approximately three hours and 20 minutes, instead of what would have been more than seven hours up to now.”

Many hope Saudi Arabia’s willingness to open its airspace to Israel indicates that it too will sign a peace accord with the Jewish state. Given President Trump’s track record, that is certainly possible.

Many believe and hope the warming ties will open a new age of tolerance and acceptance between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East and across the world. “We’re here this afternoon to change the course of history,” Mr. Trump stated when the Bahrain deal was announced on September 15. “After decades of division and conflict, we mark the dawn of a new Middle East.”

Mr. Netanyahu was just as hopeful. “This day is a pivot of history,” he said. “It heralds a new dawn of peace ... [L]ong after the pandemic is gone, the peace we make today will endure.” He also stated that these deals could

“end the Arab-Israeli conflict once and for all” (emphasis mine throughout).

After the Bahrain announcement, the New York Times wrote, “Israel’s back-to-back agreements to normalize ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, … and the much-buzzed-about possibility that other Arab nations could follow suit—are causing some Israelis to ask whether a deeper shift may, after years in the making, finally be underway in the Middle East. Could their country at last be gaining acceptance in the region as a legitimate member of the neighborhood?”

What does God think about this major development? It’s His view that is the most important.

The Bible certainly encourages peace between all nations and people. In many ways, God would be pleased by the efforts of Arab and Israeli leaders to secure peace. This took a lot of hard work and courage, and these can be commended. And the Bible certainly prophesies of a time when Jews and Arabs, the sons of Abraham, will be at peace.

Yet despite all the celebration and hope, Bible prophecy makes clear that these deals will not result in lasting peace. Actually, these deals highlight a shocking prophecy of conflict between Israel and these Arab states.

A Mysterious ProphecyMost think that Psalms is only a book of charming

P HOTO BY SAUL LOEB/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates hold up documents of the Abraham Accords


poetry. That is not the case. Some of the psalms are prophecy, and some prophesy specifically for our time today.

Psalm 83 is an end-time prophecy involving an alliance of moderate Arab states and a united Europe led by Germany. These nations are already coming together, and are destined to become a major influence in the Middle East.

Today, these same nations are starting to pursue a closer relationship with Israel!

But notice what motivates this Psalm 83 alliance. Verses 3-4 read, “For, lo, Thine enemies are in an uproar; And they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They hold crafty converse [or counsel] against Thy people, And take counsel against Thy treasured ones.” Who are

“Thy people” and “Thy treasured ones”?Verse 5 says, “They have said: ‘Come, and let us cut

them off from being a nation; That the name of ISRAEL may be no more in remembrance.’”

“Thy people” in verse 4 refers to Israel. Generally, this term applies to 12 peoples, the nations or peoples descended from the 12 sons of Jacob. Specifically, the term “Israel” in Bible prophecy refers to America and Britain, and often includes the Jewish state. To prove this truth for yourself, request a free copy of our book The United States and Britain in Prophecy, by Herbert W. Armstrong.

This conspiracy is also against God’s “treasured ones.” This is God’s very elect, who are always in the midst of the storm explaining what it all means. This little group explains the significance of deadly world events. The world could understand all of these terrible end-time events, if only they would find this very elect and heed their Bible-based warning!

Read verse 5 again: These people want to cut Israel off from being a nation. Even worse: They want to destroy the name of Israel entirely!

Everyone knows that the leaders of Iran vow to wipe Israel off the map. It appears the enemies of Israel described in Psalm 83 have a hatred every bit as deep: They want to obliterate the biblical name of Israel forever!

Who Is in This Alliance?Psalm 83:6-9 reveal the specific nations within this

deadly alliance. “For they have consulted together with one consent; Against Thee do they make a covenant; The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also is joined with them; They have been an arm to the children of Lot. Selah.”

Here are the modern names of these nations, as taught at Ambassador College under Herbert

W. A r m s t ro n g : E d o m —Tu rk e y ; Ishmaelites—Saudi Arabia; Moab—Jordan; Hagrites—anciently dwelt in the land known as Syria today; Gebal—Lebanon; Ammon—also Jordan. The Gulf states, including the U.A.E., should be included in the category of Ishmael, or Saudi Arabia. We cannot

be extremely precise in this understanding, but it gives a good general idea of where these nations are today.

Psalm 83 prophesies that all these moderate Arab nations will align with Assyria, and that this terrible alliance will seek to destroy Israel!

Remember this: God inspired the names in Psalm 83 to be preserved in the Bible so we could know who they are and how this prophecy would unfold today! We are commanded to live by every word of God (Deuteronomy 8:3). If we do not understand who these nations are, we cannot understand the 83rd Psalm. God expects us to understand!

Finally, it is important to note that Assyria is the ancient name of Germany. We prove the identity of these nations in our booklets The King of the South and Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.

There has never been such an alliance to attack or totally destroy Israel in history. Concerning this psalm, the Anchor Bible reads, “History transmits no record of the national crisis when the nations

enumerated in this psalm formed a league to wipe out Israel ....” Lange’s Commentary points out, “The 10 nations who are here enumerated as being combined against Israel, are never mentioned elsewhere as enemies allied at the same time and for the purpose of annihilating Israel.” Other commentaries make the same point.

This must be an end-time prophecy!During World War ii, most Muslims allied with

Germany. They knew what Adolf Hitler was doing to

Psalm 83 and other prophecies show that these efforts will ultimately prove futile. Why? Because humans cannot produce the long-term peace we all desire.

As impressive as Israel’s ongoing reconciliation with

the Arabs is, the ultimate way to peace is by trusting God.

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the Jews, and we know the way many Muslims feel toward the Jews today. Since America and Britain support the Jews, it is not difficult to envision the Muslims in the Middle East and Germans allying against these two nations.

We need to watch Germany, and especially its relations with the moderate Arab nations identified in the Psalm 83 alliance. We should expect Germany and Europe’s relations with these countries to improve.

This prophetic psalm reveals a deadly danger in Israel’s apparent reconciliation with the U.A.E. and Bahrain, and potentially other Arab countries. Bible prophecy says these nations will turn on Israel!

Alliance Prepared NowThis Psalm 83 alliance of moderate Arab states is forming before our eyes. Soon, Germany will take a more prominent and active role, especially as the Bible forecasts that Iran is going to start to direct its hatred toward Europe.

Notice that Iran is missing from the Psalm 83 list. So too are Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia. This is because these nations will be united in another alliance, led by Iran, referred to as “the king of the south” in the prophecy in Daniel 11:40-45. (This remarkable prophecy is explained in my free booklet The King of the South.) This too is an end-time prophecy that shows how Iran will start to violently push at

“the king of the north.”Verse 40 shows how this other “king” will

respond: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow, as he passes through.”

This “king of the north” is a German-led European power. Iran will be conquered by this European empire, and its allies will be utterly wiped out!

The full formation of the Psalm 83 alliance happens in the aftermath of this great battle.

With Iran destroyed, Israel will look upon Germany and the moderate Arab states as an ally, not a threat. And therein is the danger.

Recall Psalm 83:4: “They hold crafty converse against Thy people, And take counsel against Thy treasured ones.” As other translations reveal, this alliance conspires against Israel. What better way to deceive Israel than to be part of an alliance against Iran, Israel’s main adversary?

According to prophecy, this shockingly violent blitzkrieg attack on Iran and its allies will only serve as a precursor to a far more shocking and violent double cross against the modern descendants of the ancient Israelites. Israel will not expect to be confronted by the alliance of moderate Arab states and Germany, but this is exactly what will occur.

Back to Daniel 11:41: “He shall enter also into the beauteous land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall be delivered out of his hand, Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.” The powerful German-led army will then

“enter” the glorious land, or the land of Israel. The

WATCH JERUSALEM/REESE ZOELLNER

Libya

Germany

King of the South

Psalm 83 Alliance

END-TIME PROPHETIC ALLIANCES OF THE MIDDLE EAST


word enter in no way indicates the use of force. The Germans will be invited in to keep the peace. When this happens, the crafty counsel, the deceitful nature, of the Psalm 83 alliance will become obvious. Germany’s true intentions will be made known.

Can anyone miss the cruel irony of this situation? A Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor who lives in Israel said, “If there is anything that frightens Israelis more than Syrian troops on the Golan, it is German troops on the Golan.”

Israel must not be too confident in its military power or exceptional diplomacy. While improved relations with the moderate Arab nations is in many ways a

great achievement, and it might provide some temporary protection from Iran, Psalm 83 and other prophecies show that these efforts will ultimately prove futile. Why? Because humans cannot produce the long-term peace we all desire!

As the Prophet Jeremiah warned, the human heart is deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9; King James Version). It simply cannot be trusted. “Thus saith the Lord: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, And maketh flesh his arm, And whose heart departeth from the Lord” (verse 5). Sadly, this is what Israel is doing with this dalliance with the Arab states: It is putting far too much trust in the human heart!

The solution to this problem is obvious: This nation must once again learn to trust God.

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord, Than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord, Than to trust in princes” (Psalm 118:8-9).

The Bible is chock-full of warnings like this. The Jewish people have many wonderful examples of great leaders trusting in God, and God rescuing them from their tribulations. Study the examples of David, Hezekiah and Josiah, or the lives of Daniel, Jeremiah and all the other prophets. God is quick to defend and protect those who turn to Him in repentance and humility. These examples are some of the most inspiring history you can ever read!

Recall the Exodus and the moment when the Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea, Egypt’s army and the mountains. Terrified and agitated, the people were on the brink of anarchy. Then Moses told them, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you to-day; for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The

Lord will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13-14).

What an inspiring example of God’s power to deliver! If only more people would believe this example and live this way. If only we would “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” The Jews’ own history shows that God will protect those who turn to Him. He will fight for them, defend them and protect them.

As impressive as Israel’s ongoing reconciliation with the Arabs is, the only way to permanent peace, both collectively and individually, is to trust in God! We must remember: If you do your part, then “The Lord will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” n

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“C age d l ik e a bi r d”— t h at ’s how K ing Sennacherib described King Hezekiah during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in the eighth century b.c.e. The city was locked down and surrounded, with no one permitted to leave or enter. We know how the biblical story ends. Sennacherib’s army was dramatically and miraculously overthrown, and Jerusalem went on to enjoy a renaissance of rebuilding and prosperity.

Although it’s been a summer of lockdown for us too, that hasn’t stopped the flow of new archaeological discoveries. Over the past few months, two dramatic

new finds from King Hezekiah’s “post-lockdown” Jerusalem were unveiled.

These entirely separate discoveries, uncovered by separate teams, share some striking similarities. Both are royal buildings. Both fit with the period of biblical resurgence and rebuilding following the Assyrian siege. Both were discovered within the area of outer, southern Jerusalem.

In the grim and frankly depressing world of coronavirus lockdown, archaeology has brought a ray of hope from King Hezekiah’s own “post-lockdown” renaissance.

YOLI SHWARTZ, ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY

A Summer of Discoveries From King Hezekiah’s Jerusalem

Jerusalem continues to yield wonderful artifacts testifying to the biblical record. By Christopher Eames

The director of the Armon HaNatziv excavation, Yaakov Billig, with two of the large capitals discovered at the site


Agriculture Administration CenterIn late July, archaeologists working in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona revealed a large, 2,700-year-old administration center established by King Hezekiah and used through the seventh century b.c.e. Inside the large storage center, they discovered one of the “largest and most important” seal collections in Israel: more than 120 administrative seals, alongside other discoveries.

The building itself was unusually large and impressive, constructed out of hefty ashlar stones. Peculiar was the fact that such an administrative facility would be needed so close to the capital, Jerusalem. This indicates that Hezekiah’s Judah was perhaps more powerful and prosperous than realized, and required a strong, closely interconnected n e t w o r k o f a d m i n i s t r a t i v e buildings. The building dominated what was then an agricultural area, made up of olive orchards, vineyards and wineries.

This building would have been used by the Judahite administration to collect and process tithes and taxes from the owners of the surrounding fields. This is shown, in part, by the seals discovered at the site.

Most of the seals were of the “lmlk” variety. This seal type began to be used during King Hezekiah’s reign, with the text commonly stamped onto the handles of storage vessels. There are five main types of lmlk seals, all of which bear the motifs of either a winged scarab beetle or winged sun. The Arnona seals mostly consist of the latter, a symbol that apparently took over toward the latter part of Hezekiah’s reign. The word lmlk means “to the king.” Many of the seals included the name of one of four Judahite cities: Hebron, Socoh, Ziph or Mmst (debate is open as to the meaning of this word).

Scientists agree that these seals, and the containers upon which they were stamped, served some kind of administrative, taxation or tithing purpose.

Besides the official lmlk seals, many pottery handles were also stamped with the personal seals of individuals. The names include “Naham [son of] Abdi,” “Naham [son of] Hazliah,” “Meshullam [son of] Elnathan,” “Zaphan [son of] Abmez,” “Shaniah [son of] Azariah,” “Shalem [son of] Acha,” and “Shebna [son of] Shachar.”

Evidently, these were prominent individuals, prob-ably wealthy landowners or perhaps representatives of economic areas, who sent taxes or tithes to this administration facility. Several of these names have also been found on storage vessels at other sites, attesting to their prominent standing in Judah.

Most of these names parallel biblical names used during this late kingdom period. The names of two of the father figures, Abdi and Azariah, are mentioned together in 2 Chronicles 29:12 (a passage describing Hezekiah’s righteous reforms).

It is likely they represent the same administrative officials, but unfortunately there is insufficient genealogical information on the seals to be certain. Even if these individuals are not the same as those listed in the Bible, the use of these names helps verify the accuracy of the biblical account, given that names regularly fall in and out of use (as they do today).

Among the small finds at the site were a number of small pagan idols, including fertility figurines. The Bible notes Hezekiah for his generally righteous reign but identifies his son, Manasseh, as perhaps the most egregiously evil of all the Judahite kings, even leading the nation in child sacrifice. Perhaps these pagan items were used during the open hedonism of Manasseh’s reign.

It is interesting that most of these fertility idols discovered in Jerusalem—in the City of David, as well as at Arnona—have had their heads, legs, pedestals or breasts snapped off. 2 Kings 23:24 states that the righteous Josiah (who reigned at the end of the seventh century b.c.e.) destroyed “the idols” in Jerusalem. This would certainly have been done to large items. The condition of these gods and goddesses supplies evidence this was also done to the small.

Hezekiah’s Judah was perhaps more powerful and prosperous than realized, and

required a strong, closely interconnected network of administrative buildings.

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Strangely, evidence shows that sometime during the seventh century b.c.e., the Arnona administration building was covered over by a massive pile of flint stones that rose some 20 meters high and spanned over seven dunams (two acres). The pile of partially excavated stones, within which the administration building was discovered, is still visible from a great distance. Archaeologists remain bewildered about its original use.

Stone piles such as this have been found at several other sites in Jerusalem—the Arnona pile is the largest. Were they related to the Assyrian or Babylonian invasions? Were they some kind of territorial marker? Or perhaps some sort of a memorial covering following the death of an important individual? Perhaps a demolition of a once-paganized site? Theories abound. One biblical passage may reference them. Jeremiah 31:21 reads, “Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities” (King James Version).

The Arnona site was destroyed at the start of the sixth century b.c.e. during the Babylonian invasion. It was resettled decades later, during the Jewish return, and continued to be used for another five centuries. Today, it is somewhat “famous” as the current site of the United States Embassy, having been relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The excavation of the Arnona administrative building was led by Nathan Ben-Ari and Neria Sapir of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “This is one of the most significant discoveries from the period of the kings in Jerusalem made in recent years,” they wrote in the July 22 press release.

Barely more than a month later, we learned of another one.

The Promenade ‘Palace’In early September, archaeologists excavating at Armon HaNatziv revealed the discovery of a trove of ornately carved architectural elements from a grand royal building dating to the seventh century b.c.e. The trove included several dozen stone pieces, including the best-preserved proto-Aeolic capitals ever discovered and items from “lavish” window frames, including balustrades of ornate columns.

Armon HaNatziv is a promenade area directly overlooking the City of David hill from the south. The modern name of the location is fitting. It means

“Commissioner’s Palace” and was built by the British Mandatory administration 100 years ago. The British, it seems, had a similar idea to the early kings of Judah; they wanted an official building overlooking Jerusalem.

This structure dates to around 700 b.c.e., the time following Assyria’s siege during the days of King Hezekiah, and directly parallels the construction of another palatial structure at nearby Ramat Rachel (southwest Jerusalem). It also fits alongside the construction of the Arnona administration building. The excavators believe this royal promenade building

SHAI HALEVI, ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY

One of the balustrade columns of an ancient window


was part of what they call an “exit from the walls” strategy instituted by King Hezekiah. When the threat of the Assyrian siege ended, Hezekiah began constructing royal administration buildings, storehouses and grand palatial buildings outside of Jerusalem’s fortress walls.

The most notable discoveries made at the Armon HaNatziv site are the proto-Aeolic capitals. A capital is the stylized uppermost part of a column. Capitals were highly decorative and made the pillar more stable. Proto-Aeolic capitals are famous architectural features from First Temple period Israel; they feature two palm volutes. (The palm is a common motif in ancient Israel, featured most notably in the temple.) Dozens have been found around the country, dating from throughout the First Temple period. Today they are depicted on the five shekel coin.

In the last issue, we published an article about the “finest proto-Aeolic capital” ever discovered from Kathleen Kenyon’s 1963 excavation in the City of David. Apparently we spoke too soon! The immaculate preservation of these newly discovered capitals far exceeds even that example. Of the three large capitals discovered at the site, two had been deliberately buried, one carefully placed atop the other, before the rest of the palatial building was destroyed during the sixth-century Babylonian conquest.

“This is one of the mysteries at this unique site, to which we will try to offer a solution,” noted excavation director Yaakov Billig. Perhaps the royal owner of the site—a nobleman, or maybe even the king of Judah himself—had wanted to ensure that the building’s finery was preserved for when the Jews would return, as had been prophesied (Jeremiah 29:10).

Together with the three large capitals, miniature “capitals” were also discovered at the site, serving as the

caps of balustrade columns. This was the first time such a feature has been discovered (although they are known from ancient artistic depictions of window ledges). Together, the especially ornate capitals and balustrades adorned this palatial promenade.

At a September 3 event celebrating the discovery, Hili Tropper, the Israeli minister of culture, said the following words (which also sum up the discovery at Arnona): “I am happy and excited with the revelation

The two Jerusalemite buildings at Arnona and Armon HaNatziv reveal

a period of rebuilding, growth and prosperity following a time of deep

depression, despair and destruction.

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Artist’s rendering of the Armon HaNatziv promenade building, looking

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of the remains from the period of the kings of Judah. The uncovering of the remains of the building reflects the glorious roots of the Jewish people and our rich past here in the capital city Jerusalem. I see great importance in the work of the Israel Antiquities Authority and in the work of the City of David in their discoveries over the years, which reveal parts of the illustrious Jewish past. This is an opportunity to thank the Ir David Foundation [Elad] that funded this important excavation. The past is the cornerstone of a nation, and the cornerstone of culture, and its discovery also affects the present as well as the future.”

A Biblical ‘Renaissance’Taken together, the two Jerusalemite buildings at Arnona and Armon HaNatziv reveal a period of rebuilding, growth and prosperity following a time

of deep depression, despair a n d d e s t r u c t i o n . I t i s a hopeful story, and one we all can benefit from right now. Most importantly, the archaeological picture fits precisely with the biblical account.

When Jerusalem was under threat from the Assyrians, and Hezekiah cried out to God in prayer, Isaiah prophesied the freedom of the nation. He foretold a miraculous agricultural resurgence, one in which no sowing would even be necessary for the first two years (Isaiah 37:30). Perhaps the reason the Arnona center was required so close to the City of David was to cope with these large harvests.

The Bible describes the ensuing magnificence and riches of Hezekiah’s reign. Its grandeur attracted even the faraway Babylonians, whose a m b a s s a d o r s h e t o u r e d through the land (Isaiah 39, perhaps taking them up to the Armon HaNatziv promenade). This is how 2 Chronicles 32 summarizes Hezekiah’s reign following the failed Assyrian siege: “And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and

honour; and he provided him treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of goodly vessels; store-houses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil [like Arnona]; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and flocks in folds. Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much substance” (verses 27-29).

The biblical story—and now the discoveries—teach a powerful lesson and theme of the Bible: blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. Disobedience to God brings persecution and suffering. It did throughout biblical times, and it does to this day. But when we listen to God and obey Him, when we turn to Him in repentance, He will deliver us from any trial—and bless us with more than our “Arnona” storehouses can handle. n

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The Hebrew Year 5781 —or Is It?

The important Jewish debate you’ve probably never heard ofBy Christopher Eames

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T he Hebrew calendar is supremely regulated and accurate. Divine and detailed biblical instructions are given for determining months and precisely pinpointing dates, especially for the holy days. The Hebrew calendar is unique in that it is exceedingly ancient, yet exceedingly advanced and exact. It is a combined luni-solar calendar, which means it relies on the movements of both the sun and the moon (unlike the solar Gregorian calendar or the lunar Islamic calendar).

However, while the Bible gives detailed instructions on how to measure months and days, it doesn’t specify how to number years. How do we know which year it is on the biblical Hebrew calendar?

Ask many creationists, and they’ll say that Adam was created roughly 6,000 years ago. According to the current, modern Hebrew calendar, which is figured from creation, we have just started the year 5781. How is this date figured? How accurate is it?

More importantly, does it matter whether we know what year it is?

5,781 Years From AdamFirst, it is important to understand that the yearly numbering of the Hebrew calendar is not a biblical construct, as are the months and days. Rather, the current Hebrew system of counting years was not established until around c.e. 160, roughly 600 years after the completion of the Hebrew Bible.

The yearly calendar used today throughout Israel is what is known as an anno mundi calendar (a.m.;

Latin for “in the year of the world”). This calendar counts forward from the biblical creation week to the present day (actually, it is counted from one year before the creation week, starting with a so-called Year of Emptiness). The Gregorian calendar, on the other hand, is an anno Domini calendar (a.d.; Latin for “in the year of the Lord”) and centers around the birth of Jesus (albeit this date is highly dubious; internal New Testament evidence points to a more accurate birth year of 4 b.c.e.).

The a.m. calendar comes from the Seder Olam Rabbah (sor), which translates as the “Great Order

of the World.” Written around c.e. 160 by Rabbi Jose ben Halafta, this timeline outlines the chronology from Adam to the Bar Kochba Revolt of c.e. 135. Like the Mishnah, it was compiled at a time of enormous persecution, when it was feared that the Jewish way of life and Jewish knowledge faced extinction.

For several centuries after the writing of the sor, there was some confusion among Jewish communities regarding the precise counting of the given dates. In the 12th century c.e., however, the rabbi Maimonides established a definitive numbering system based on the sor. This system has been used to today—a.m. 5781. Here is how this year is calculated.

3,338 Years to the DestructionCounting the years from creation is fairly simple. Genesis 5 gives the genealogy from Adam to Noah. It outlines the lifespan of each individual and, most importantly, how old they were when their respective descendant was born. Still, it is impossible from this passage to add together these dates to the precise year, since the specific months of birth and death are not provided. Therefore, the accumulative sum of months will add up to an additional several years.

Just taking the raw numbers from Adam to the birth of Noah, there are 1,056 years. Genesis 7:11 tells us that the Flood occurred in Noah’s 600th year, which takes us to a.m. 1656.

To count from the Flood, the genealogies outlined in Genesis 11 are used. These take us to the days of Abraham, who was born a.m. 1948. (Again, this figure

is not 100 percent accurate, since we do not know the precise months. For example, if each generation from Adam to Abraham was born six months into the counted year, this would constitute an additional nine years). The birth of Isaac is also recorded—a.m. 2048 (in Abraham’s 100th year). So far, so good.

Some difficulty arises during the time period from the patriarchs to

the Exodus. The straightforward generational counts stop, and Jewish scholars rely on clues from other passages. Exodus 12:40 is a much-debated scripture, taken to mean the Israelites lived in Egypt 430 years (the Septuagint version reads Egypt and Canaan). Genesis 15:13 contains a prophecy that Israel would be afflicted 400 years. While it is clear that both accounts end at the Exodus, various sources are at odds as to when to start the 400- and 430-year counts. The sor calendar takes the 400-year date from Isaac’s birth, when Abraham was 100. However, a century before the sor calendar was written, the belief was that the 430-year count

The yearly numbering of the Hebrew calendar is not a biblical construct. The current Hebrew system of counting years was not established until some 600 years after the completion of the Hebrew Bible.


should begin from Abraham’s covenant with God at 99, one year before Isaac’s birth (Genesis 17). This is shown in the New Testament (Galatians 3:16-17). This would leave us with a missing 29 years. Nonetheless, for our purposes, we will continue to follow the conventional sor calendar dating.

Four hundred years from Isaac’s birth gives us an sor Exodus date of a.m. 2448. And 1 Kings 6:1 tells us that 480 years passed from the Exodus to the building of the temple, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign—a.m. 2928.

From this point on, things get more complex. While the reigns of the kings prior to the destruction of the temple are clearly listed, we cannot simply add these numbers. Also, since the end of one reign and the beginning of another date to the same year, for every new ruler one year of reign must be removed from the count. Using this rationale, the date for the end of the reign of Judah’s final ruler, King Zedekiah, and the destruction of the temple is a.m. 3338.

But again, this date cannot be definitively known from the Scriptures. It is clear that at least a number of kings served as co-regent (this is evident from

comparing the chronology of the reigns of the kings of Judah with the chronology of the kings of Israel)—but there is a significant amount of debate on which kings had co-regencies and for how long. So, by this point in the calendar, we technically could have a plus or minus of several dozens of accumulative years.

Nonetheless, in its most simplistic form, simply counting the years given, the sor calendar gives the date of the temple’s destruction as a.m. 3338.

One would think that the closer we get to the present, the easier the count would get. But it is from this point forward things get really tricky.

The ‘Missing Years’The confusion has to do with the period between the destruction of the two temples—the first temple (around 586 b.c.e. on the conventional calendar) and the second temple (c.e. 70).

The destruction of the second temple at the end of the Jewish Revolt is widely accepted as dating to c.e. 70 on the Gregorian calendar. (Still, there has been some historical rabbinical debate about this—whether it dates to c.e. 68, 69 or 70. The sor calendar recognizes it as c.e. 68).

A number of rabbinic works state that the second temple stood 420 years. Subtracting this from c.e. 68–70, we arrive at roughly 350 b.c.e. as the date of the building of the second temple by Zerubbabel. The Prophet Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews would return and rebuild that temple 70 years after its original destruction (e.g. Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10). This then places the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple at around 420 b.c.e. on the Gregorian calendar.

This date probably comes as a shock. It is miles off from the general historical, conventional dating of the

destruction of the temple, around 586 b.c.e.—roughly 165 years difference. In the calendar debate, these are known as the “missing years.”

The date of the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple is absolutely grounded in historical sources for the conventional calendar. There is some debate as to whether it was 587, 586 or 585 b.c.e., but plus or minus a year is negligible. This dating, in the mid-580s,

In the 12th Century, Rabbi Maimonides established a definitive numbering system based on the SOR.

Ordinarily, one would think that the closer we get to the present, the easier the count

would get. But it is precisely from this point forward that things get really tricky.

HEBREW YEAR PAGE 16 upublic

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THE SEDER OLAM RABBAH CALENDAR

THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR

creation weeka.m. 1

adam diesa.m. 930

noah borna.m. 1056

the flooda.m. 1656

400 years to exodusa.m. 2048

isaac born

1877 b.c.e. abrahamic covenant 430 years to exodus

1976 b.c.e.

the exodusa.m. 2448

david reignsa.m. 2884

967 b.c.e.

1011 b.c.e.

1447 b.c.e.

destruction of first temple

a.m. 3338

586 b.c.e.

a.m. 3000

1000 b.c.e.4000 b.c.e.

seth borna.m. 130

3000 b.c.e.

2268 b.c.e.

2868 b.c.e.

2994 b.c.e.

3794 b.c.e.

3924 b.c.e.

solomon builds temple a.m. 2928

a.m. 2000a.m. 1000a.m. 0

2000 b.c.e.

abramborn

a.m. 1948

16 watch jerusalem

is corroborated by the ancient, detailed, chronological texts of Babylon, Egypt, Persia and Greece, as well as early Jewish chronology (including Josephus), and the writings of dozens of other first millennium b.c.e. historians, all paired with and corroborating the biblical chronology. The sor calendar, on the other hand, stands entirely alone. Where, then, did the 165 missing years of the sor calendar go?

TheoriesThis “discrepancy” has long been accepted as problematic and debated by numerous rabbis and other Jewish authorities. Many theories try to explain it.

One of the most-recognized areas of “trouble” is in the biblical listing of Persian kings. The book of Daniel references four Persian kings. Certain Talmudic sages

took this to mean that there were only four Persian kings, filling a 52-year period. Conventional historical chronologies, however, show that there were in fact 13 Persian kings who ruled over a 207-year period between the Babylonian and Greek empires. This, then, would account for almost all of the discrepancy. (The apparent discrepancy in the book of Daniel is easily explained by the fact that it only notes the most significant rulers of Persia.)

Another explanation for why the sor gives 490 years between the destruction of the first temple and the destruction of the second is the 70-weeks prophecy found in Daniel 9, a chapter known to Judaism and Christianity as a prophetic time frame for the coming of the Messiah. The theory goes that Daniel 9:24-26 were taken to refer to 490 prophetic years between the destruction of the temples.

Verse 24 reads: “Seventy weeks [490 prophetic years] are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring

Orthodox Jewish scholar Mitchell First compiled an exhaustive book on the subject

u HEBREW YEAR FROM PAGE 13

From this point forward, the SOR calendar is behind by 29 years (shown by the first three diagonal red lines). The calendars realign, however, by the time of the destruction of the first temple. This is because the Gregorian dates allow for co-regencies, while the SOR calendar does not.

c.e. 70

c.e. 160 c.e. 1948

c.e. 2020

515 b.c.e.

rebuilding the templea.m. 3408

destruction of second templea.m. 3828

writing of sor calendara.m. 3920

establishment of the state of israela.m. 5708

current hebrew calendar yeara.m. 5781

current year

0 c.e. 1000

a.m. 5000 a.m. 6000 a.m. 7000period of 165

“missing” years

c.e. 2000

a.m. 4000


in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (King James Version).

Another theory endorsed by several Jewish scholars suggests that the statement at the end of the book of Daniel—“shut up the words, and seal the book” (Daniel 12:4)—could be a command to obscure the calculations of the Messiah’s coming so the time frame would not be known. This implies a deliberate misrepresentation of the 70-weeks prophecy within the sor calendar dates.

Theories abound. Rabbi M. Breuer believes the sor count is not factually accurate but is instead supposed to be symbolic. Rabbi B. Wein agrees that the sor count is off but does not know why the ancient writers would have changed the conventional dates; he suggests that the explanation will be given by the Messiah at his coming. Other Jewish scholars and rabbis have explanations.

Orthodox Jewish scholar Mitchell First compiled an exhaustive book on the subject titled Jewish History in Conflict: A Study of the Major Discrepancy Between Rabbinic and Conventional Chronology. He explains the controversy, enumerating the different Jewish perspectives on it—from the earliest documented

explanation (circa c.e. 900) to the present day. He first lists the substantive statements made on the issue by Jewish scholars and rabbis. All totaled, 17 were in favor of the sor chronology over the conventional, 41 were in favor of the conventional chronology over the sor, and 14 made the case that both are correct.

But why is this important?

WATCH JERUSALEM/DESIGN: EDWIN TREBELS, TEXT: CHRISTOPHER EAMES

It becomes clear, from the overwhelming weight of evidence, that the Seder Olam

Rabbah is indeed off by nearly 200 years.

The Gregorian year C.E. 2020 aligns here with the SOR year A.M. 5950, after adding the 165 “missing“ year period. If the additional 29 “missing” years from Abraham's time should also be added (rather than subtracted during the first temple period) that would bring us to around A.M. 5980.

18 watch jerusalem

It’s a Lot Later Than You ThinkIt becomes clear from the overwhelming weight of evidence that the sor is off by nearly 200 years. This is shown by a vast number of parallel historical sources, including early Jewish sources—all of which do parallel biblical sources. And this conclusion is accepted by a large number, if not a majority, of Jewish scholars and rabbis. Yet in spite of its recognized flaws, the sor calendar continues to be accepted in the name of tradition.

This is no small or inconsequential mistake. When we add the “missing years” from the sor, we arrive at an actual “date from creation” of around a.m. 5950.

And remember the “missing” 29 years, as part of the 430-year count to the Exodus? Adding these years would bring us to a date of about a.m. 5980 (see the timeline subtext, pg. 17). Finally, when you take into account the accumulative biblical months related to births, regnal dates, and other potential errors, we are almost certainly several years beyond this date.

Why is this important?Because the Bible shows us that the Messiah

will come just before—or by—the year 6000!The course of human existence is typed by the

seven-day week. God accomplished creation in six days, and “He rested on the seventh day” (Genesis 2:2). Similarly, God commanded man to work six days of the week and rest on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-10).

The Bible further brings out that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Moses also mentioned this in the Psalms: “For a thousand years in Thy sight Are but as yesterday when it is past ...” (Psalm 90:4). This seven-“day” plan of God is found throughout Scripture—in the Hebrew Bible as well as in the New Testament (Revelation 20:4 expounds on a seventh-day

“millennium” of rule by the Messiah and the saints). Numerous later rabbinical Jewish writings mention the 6,000-year “deadline” for the arrival of the Messiah.

Our founder, Herbert W. Armstrong, taught this truth plainly, writing, “So God allotted the first 6,000 years to physical man, to live his own way (deceived and

swayed by Satan), to prove by 6,000 years of suffering mountainous evils, that only God’s way can bring desired blessings. That 6,000 years we may call ‘the day of man’” (The Wonderful World Tomorrow—What It Will Be Like; free upon request). After 6,000 years, the Messiah’s new government will rule over the world for 1,000 years. Bible prophecy, now being fulfilled in so many dramatic world events, shows that we are near the end of mankind’s allotted 6,000 years.

The problem with dating the year to 5781 is that it obscures this critical truth. If we believe it is year 5781 and that the Messiah may not come for another 200

years, it is easy to become relaxed and complacent.

W h e n y o u u n d e r s t a n d t h e Hebrew calendar and realize that even now we are potentially single digits to the year 6000, you become a lot more urgent! We are living in the final years!

The Bible contains a strong warning about these times. It describes a time of world war and suffering just prior to the arrival of the Messiah: A “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time” (Daniel 12:1). In fact, so great will be the destruction that, if the Messiah didn’t come, there would be “no flesh saved alive.” Truly, this could only describe our time right now—a unique time where humanity has only now invented the weapons capable of wiping out human life multiple times over.

But as the Prophet Daniel describes, the Messiah will come and stop the madness. Verse 1 continues, “and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that

shall be found written in the book.” God will protect those who obey His commands. God then tells the prophet, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (verse 4).

No man can pinpoint the exact date we are at in history. We have clearly established that—and the Bible itself states that “ye know neither the day nor the hour” of the Messiah’s coming. What we do know, however, is that we are within the final years before a.m. 6000. The arrival of the Messiah is imminent! n

When we add the “missing years” from the Seder Olam Rabbah, we arrive at an actual

“date from creation” of around a.m. 5950.

No man can pinpoint the exact date we are at in history. What we do know, however, is that

we are within the final years before a.m. 6000. The arrival of the Messiah is imminent!

The Gezer Calendar

Written around the time of King Solomon, this special artifact provides insight into the Hebrew calendar. By Marianna Bala’a

○ One month summer (fruit) [August]○ Abijah [name of the scribe]

Importantly, the calendar begins at “the time of harvesting.” It was most likely written around this time too. This would have been around the time of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles—a festival of great rejoicing and gladness following the ingathering of the large fall harvest. The Israelites looked forward to this time of year, including its agricultural abundance and annual fall holy days.

The fall harvest marked the end of one agricultural year and the beginning of the next. The fact that the calendar begins with the “two months gathering” makes sense, because the Bible reveals that the agricultural, land sabbath and Jubilee years were anchored to this seventh month—Tishri (Exodus 23:16, 34:22, Leviticus 25, Deuteronomy 15). From the two months of gathering beginning with Tishri, the calendar continues through all 12 months.

Made of soft limestone, the Gezer tablet could easily be written on and then scraped for reuse, making it ideal for a youth learning to write, or perhaps a scribe in training. How this document was used specifically, though, has been a topic of debate. One theory is that the wide, almost sloppy script suggests it was written by a young person practicing his or her Hebrew. Some speculate

Discovered by an Irish archaeologist working for a British company on an excavation in territory controlled by Turkey, the Gezer calendar provides fabulous insight into life in ancient Israel.

R.A.S. Macalister uncovered the calendar in 1908 during an excavation in the city of Gezer, 20 miles west of Jerusalem. This ancient inscription, 11.1 centimeters high and 7.3 centimeters wide—about the size of a mobile phone—dates to the 10th century b.c.e. (early Iron Age ii), which is around the time of King Solomon.

Archaeologists get excited about inscriptions because they often provide an eyewitness account of daily life in an ancient culture or civilization. That’s why the discovery of one of the oldest Hebrew inscriptions ever found sparked many archaeologists’ interest; it shines light on the developed language and well-structured life of ancient Israel.

The inscription on the Gezer calendar reads: ○ Two months harvesting [September, October]○ Two months sowing [November, December]○ Two months late planting [January, February]○ One month cutting flax [March]○ One month reaping barley [April]○ One month reaping and measuring [May]○ Two months pruning [June, July]


The Gezer calendar tablet (actual size) at the Museum of Archaeology, Istanbul, Turkey

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that it might also be lyrics to an ancient Israelite nursery rhyme, a tune to help young children learn the harvesting schedule. Others suggest it was an official document possibly used to help with taxes paid by farmers.

Despite the varying theories about its author, experts recognize that the calendar was an educational device and proves the Israelites were literate. This is especially insightful since few very Hebrew inscriptions have been discovered.

Some scholars argue that the inscription is not actually in Hebrew, but rather is a form of Phoenician writing. However, the evidence for this is weak, and many scientists have made a strong case that the text is paleo-Hebrew. In the 10th century b.c.e., after Egypt’s pharaoh destroyed the Canaanites in Gezer, he gifted the city to his daughter, King Solomon’s wife (1 Kings 9:16). Gezer became an Israelite city shortly before this calendar was created. This explains why Hebrew writing was found in a city that was previously Canaanite.

The Bible records that after receiving Gezer from the pharaoh, Solomon expanded it into a grand, well-fortified city. Excavations at Gezer have exposed some of the same architectural features, including

the six-chambered gates, that have been found at Hazor and Megiddo (and possibly Jerusalem). These gates, described in 1 Kings 9:15, indicate that a strong, unified government was present to standardize their

construction across Israel. They also help prove that King Solomon was a powerful and wealthy monarch, and not the small-time hilltop chieftain some claim.

Finally, one of the most interesting features on the Gezer calendar is the signature at the bottom: the name Abijah. The Bible makes several references to individuals named Abijah, virtually all of

which are from the 10th century b.c.e. The name “Abijah” is mentioned 20 times in the Bible; of these, 16 refer to three leading individuals who lived in the 10th century: Jeroboam’s son Abijah, Rehoboam’s son and successor King Abijah, and David’s “chief man” Abijah.

Names commonly fall in and out of popular use throughout history. While the specific biblical figure of Abijah cannot be proved archaeologically by the Gezer calendar, the common use of the name during this time frame does corroborate the biblical account.

Want to see the Gezer calendar in person? You’ll have to book a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. When this artifact was discovered in 1908, Israel was still under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Today the Gezer calendar is on display in the Museum of the Ancient Orient. Whether you see it in person or through photographs, this artifact supports the biblical account of Gezer being a major Israelite city in the 10th century b.c.e. with established agricultural systems, well-fortified walls and a highly developed language. n

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Two months harvesting,Two months sowingyrHw ’sp yrHw z

Transcription Paleo-Hebrewline

Transliteration in the square script

Transliteration in the Latin Characters English Translation gregorian calendar

ירחו אסף ירחו ז...

Two months late planting r‘ yrHw lqšרע ירחו לקש ...

One month reaping barleyyrH qSr š‘rmירח קצר שערם

Two months pruningyrHw zmrירחו זמר

One month cutting flaxyrH ‘Sd pštירח עצד פשת

One month reaping and measuringyrH qSr wklzירח קצר וכלז

One month summer (fruit)yrH qSירח קץ

September, OctoberNovember, December

January, February

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June, July

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The discovery of one of the oldest Hebrew inscriptions ever found sparked many archaeologists’ interest; it shines light on the developed language and well-structured life of ancient Israel.


The Beirut Blast: Catalyst for Biblical Prophecy

Smoke rises from the port in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4 after 2,700 metric

tons of ammonium nitrate exploded (FADEL ITANI/NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES)


Get ready for a massive restructuring of the Middle East—starting in Lebanon. BY BRENT NAGTEGAAL

I n early September, a dog captured the hearts and the hopes of Beirut residents. Flash, a black-and-white rescue dog, inspected a collapsed building and signaled to his team that he sensed life. Using a sensor, a technician detected a slow pulse under

the rubble that could have been a heartbeat. It was a moment of hope amid ongoing agony.

On August 4, a colossal blast had sent debris and rust-colored smoke soaring from the Port of Beirut. A pressure wave instantly flattened nearby buildings,

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flipping cars and blowing out every window in Beirut. The resulting shock wave, equivalent to a 3.5-magnitude earthquake, was felt more than 150 miles away on the island of Cyprus.

Two thousand seven hundred metric tons of ammonium nitrate had combusted, causing one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. Within moments, footage of the dramatic explosion was viewed by millions worldwide. You probably watched in horror, wondering how anyone close to the explosion could have survived. However, as big as that explosion was, the world quickly moved on.

But Lebanon has not. Beirut is still in tatters; the city is a shell of its former self. For over a month, rescue teams from all over the world worked to recover survivors. A Chilean team, famous for its recovery of miners a decade ago, joined the effort, along with Flash the dog. But on September 4, the search for life was called off. Any hope of finding survivors was gone.

As hard as it is to imagine right now, there is hope in the Beirut explosion. That explosion will propel the fulfillment of a dramatic Bible prophecy—one that precedes the coming of the Messiah!

This prophecy says that tiny Lebanon will become an important member in an alliance between Europe and Arab states, including the Gulf states, Jordan, Syria and Turkey. This alliance will counter the Islamic regime in Iran. Today, Lebanon is dominated by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia-turned-political power. But after the August explosion, this will change.

Before you divert your eyes from Lebanon, you need to understand how the Beirut blast is a catalyst bringing about a staggering change in the Middle East. The shock wave from this event will be felt worldwide!

Utter DestructionAerial footage of ground zero of the blast shows a gaping hole in the port. The explosion created a chasm 45 meters deep and utter destruction in every direction. Initial estimates put the damage around $15 billion. Almost 200 people were killed, thousands more were injured, and nearly a third of a million people—15 percent of the city’s population—became homeless.

The question quickly surfaced, why were 2,700 metric tons of a highly explosive substance stored in the city, putting so many people at risk? Everyone knows the answer: Hezbollah, the force that has dominated Lebanon for the past decade, wanted it there.

The shipment of ammonium nitrate arrived at the port in late 2013 when the Moldovan-flagged cargo vessel Rhosus was forced to dock in Beirut after experiencing technical problems at sea. Lawyers representing the crew described the incident in

the Arrest News: “Owing to the risks associated with retaining the ammonium nitrate on board the vessel, the port authorities discharged the cargo onto the port’s warehouses” (October 2015).

But reports in some Lebanese media claim Iran purchased the chemical compound and had the Rhosus make a beeline for Beirut to offload it and store it for future use.

Storing the volatile material at the port worried local port authorities. Customs officials made 10 separate appeals to the Lebanese government from June 2014 through July 2020 to remove it. One letter stated, “In view of the serious danger of keeping these goods in the

hangar in unsuitable climatic conditions, we reaffirm our request to please request the marine agency to re-export these goods immediately to preserve the safety of the port and those working in it, or to look into agreeing to sell this amount [to the Lebanese Explosives Company].”

But the explosive material remained just a stone’s throw from the central business district. Why?

Ask HezbollahNo direct links to Hezbollah have been made public by investigators and likely won’t be without an independent international investigation. Nevertheless, most experts believe it is impossible that Hezbollah

Beirut blast comparisonEXPLOSION KILOTON YIELD

0.002kt Oklahoma City bombing

0.011kt MOAB conventional bomb

0.34kt Tianjin explosions

1.5kt Beirut port explosion

WATCH JERUSALEM


was not fully aware of the explosive contents at the port. Both Israel and the United States Treasury Department have said previously that Hezbollah controls much of Beirut’s port facilities. “Any way you look at it, Hezbollah is involved,” stated Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, a former Israeli Defense Forces intelligence officer who specializes on Israel’s northern border. “Even if it’s just a regular accident, which this [the port blast] probably is, Hezbollah controls both the airport and seaport in Lebanon, so it’s responsible” (bicom podcast, August 11).

Along with control of the port, evidence suggests that Hezbollah was holding ammonium nitrate there to enable it to ship large quantities of bomb-making materials to its terrorist proxies elsewhere. Since

2014, Hezbollah has made a concerted effort to use ammonium nitrate in attacks.

Soon after the shipment arrived in Beirut, Israel’s Mossad agency started alerting foreign nations to Hezbollah’s potential use of ammonium nitrate. According to the Times of Israel, the Mossad learned in 2014 that Unit 910, Hezbollah’s foreign operations group, was developing the means to launch terror attacks around the world. This led to sting operations in several nations in 2015 that uncovered ammonium nitrate.

In May 2015, authorities in Cyprus found 9 tons of ammonium nitrate in a Larnaca home. Hezbollah had paid a Lebanese-Cypriot man more than $10,000 to hide the material, which it planned to use to target Israeli interests in Cyprus. In August of that year, authorities in Kuwait arrested three Hezbollah operatives who had stored 21 tons of ammonium nitrate in a residential house. That autumn, British authorities discovered 3 tons of ammonium nitrate stashed in thousands of disposable ice packs at a Hezbollah bomb-making facility in London. Last year, Mossad reportedly notified the German government that Hezbollah had stored hundreds of kilograms of ammonium nitrate in warehouses in southern Germany. (This was part of the reason Germany banned the organization.) In 2017, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened to attack Israel’s northern port city of Haifa by blowing up its ammonia tank.

Considering Hezbollah’s links to the port and its several foiled ammonium nitrate attacks, it is almost certain that Hezbollah was aware of the Beirut stockpile and was using it for its nefarious ends. In Lebanon, no one doubts this.

The Spectator’s Paul Wood wrote on August 5 that, in the direct aftermath of the blast, he received messages from Lebanese friends saying that Hezbollah was to blame. “Even if that’s not true,” he wrote, “it shows what some Lebanese are thinking—and therefore how this crisis might develop.”

Turning Against HezbollahBefore the blast, Hezbollah already faced increasing resistance from the Lebanese. Hezbollah’s control over many of the government ministries gives it financial and political power, not to mention opportunities for corruption and mismanagement. However, as Hezbollah’s power has increased, international

investment in Lebanon by the Gulf states and its allies has severely dropped, resulting in economic collapse. Lebanon’s currency has lost 85 percent of its value in the past year. More than half the population is now in poverty. People are

enduring rolling blackouts, up to 22 hours per day, and food is becoming expensive.

Foreign nations and the International Monetary Fund are ready to provide Lebanon with a massive aid package. Economists for the Foundation for Defense of Democracy said that, before the blast, Lebanon needed a staggering $93 billion. For context, the fdd noted that the imf’s largest-ever bailout in history was $57 billion to Argentina in 2018. Lebanon has just over 10 percent the population of Argentina, and needs twice the money to stay afloat. Again, this was before the $15 billion blast.

However, while the imf is willing to send a large sum to Lebanon, that money is conditional upon Lebanon making fundamental changes to its system that will curtail Hezbollah’s power. Hezbollah has refused, thus preventing aid money from coming.

Put simply, if Lebanon is to survive as a nation it has two choices: accept being a client state of Iran and the poverty that comes with it, or turn against Hezbollah and receive assistance from the outside world.

It is not easy to revolt against Hezbollah. Its military is more powerful than Lebanon’s national armed forces, and it has a large network of spies. Yet even before the blast, a strong anti-Hezbollah movement was growing in Lebanon.

In July, the patriarch of the Maronite Church, which represents 40 percent of Lebanon’s population, began criticizing Hezbollah. “Today, Lebanon has become isolated from the world,” Beshara al-Rai stated on July 14. “This is not our identity. Our identity is positive and constructive neutrality, not a warrior Lebanon.” These

This prophecy says that tiny Lebanon will become an important member in an alliance between Europe and Arab states.

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remarks condemned Hezbollah’s violent interference in nations like Syria and Yemen.

Rai’s comments are significant because for years Maronite politicians have abetted Hezbollah’s rise to power in the government. President Michael Aoun is a Maronite Christian but is allied with Hezbollah. Now he and other Christian leaders have heard the loud warning from the Maronite leader and much of the population calling on them to sever that relationship.

“It is to Patriarch Rai’s credit that he has shown that [Hezbollah’s] sway over Lebanon is more fragile than it

appears,” wrote noted Lebanese commentator Michael Young in the National (July 29).

The blast widened the split between Hezbollah and Maronites because it was the predominately Christian neighborhoods surrounding the port that suffered most of the destruction. Christians, and many Sunnis and Shiites, are protesting in the streets to demand a total change in government. In a sign of a possible break with Hezbollah, President Aoun publicly endorsed possible peace talks with Israel in the future while talking with French bfm tv news channel on August 15.

A few days after the blast, Lebanese protesters stormed government buildings and assembled in Martyrs Square in Beirut to hang effigies of leading politicians, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Such open defiance of Hezbollah is unheard of in Lebanon. “Until that moment, daring to mention Nasrallah had been a life-threatening debasement of sanctity,” wrote Lebanese journalist Hazem Saghieh (Asharq al-Awsat, August 12). Now that taboo has been broken.

During the massive protests in the wake of the blast, more than 700 people were injured. Seeing the violence on the streets, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab dissolved his cabinet, ending his brief term in office. He finished his statement by saying, “May Allah protect Lebanon. May Allah protect Lebanon. May Allah protect Lebanon.”

Turning to EuropeWithin 48 hours of the blast, French President Emmanuel Macron walked through Beirut’s destroyed downtown. He was surrounded by throngs of people expressing anguish and fury at Lebanon’s leaders, and imploring France to help. Some chanted, “Help us, Mr.

President.” Others cried, “Revolution! Revolution!” Disillusioned by their own government’s corruption and incompetence, the Lebanese found Macron’s prompt arrival almost messianic.

The fear, however, is that any relief money will be controlled by the same corrupt politicians who wrecked the nation’s finances. Macron told one woman, “I can guarantee that this assistance will not be placed in the hands of the corrupt, and a free Lebanon will rise again.”

Macron conspicuously avoided visiting with Lebanese leaders; he went directly to the people. If

he has his way, the international aid effort will take the same route. “We will organize international aid so that it directly reaches the Lebanese people under UN supervision,” Macron said during a press conference. “I am here to launch a new political initiative.”

And a new initiative, and a new government, is just what the Lebanese want.

“We’re asking for the president of France to take over Lebanon,” a young Beirut resident told the New York Times. “Just throw away the government. There’s no future here for us if the current politicians stay. We’d rather get colonized than die here.” It sounds extreme, but this shocking demand for recolonization speaks to the severity of Lebanon’s frustration with its leaders.

The hero’s welcome for Macron contrasted starkly with the reaction to Lebanon’s own leaders. Days after the blast, leaders of the main political parties dared not walk the area for fear of inciting protests and being attacked.

Many Western reporters considered the visit of the French president as bizarre. An Associated Press headline read, “Is France Helping Lebanon or Trying to Reconquer It?” Some critics characterized him as a 21st-century would-be emperor: “Macron Bonaparte.” But to Lebanese in Beirut and beyond, it’s not bizarre. It is, as some put it, “our only hope.”

“In a situation like this, it’s perfectly understandable that people hope to get rid of their political leadership,” said Maximilian Felsch, a professor at Beirut’s Haigazian University. “Anything is better than this. So, I can understand that the majority of the Lebanese people hope that—if this was at all possible—some foreign power will take control of the country.”

Macron’s visit was a watershed event. It showed that the Lebanese trust a foreign president more than their own politicians, whether Shiite, Sunni, Druze or Christian.

Macron returned to France and organized an online international donors conference that raised almost $300 million in pledges for relief efforts. The

Macron’s visit was a watershed event. It showed that the Lebanese trust a foreign president more than their own politicians, whether Shiite, Sunni, Druze or Christian.


money will be kept from the Lebanese government and administered by a future United Nations mission. The Gulf states are also willing to help financially, but not while Hezbollah is the dominant force in Lebanon.

“Saudi Arabia will not continue to pay Hezbollah’s bills,” wrote prominent Saudi columnist Khaled al-Sulaiman in the Okaz daily.

United States President Donald Trump confirmed that any U.S. aid would stay out of the hands of the Lebanese government. The U.S. also started to sanction corrupt Lebanese politicians who have been in league with Hezbollah. On September 8, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned former transport and finance ministers, both belonging to Christian parties. The U.S. Treasury said these former Lebanese cabinet members “provided material support for Hezbollah and engaged in corruption.” The decision to target the two ministers marked a shift in U.S. policy for Lebanon as well. America had sanctioned Hezbollah parliamentary members, but now it is warning the rest of Lebanon’s political class that if they are abetting Hezbollah’s control, they too will be targeted.

America’s actions will strengthen Macron’s demands for structural changes to Lebanon’s government.

On September 1, the French president returned to Lebanon. Again, Macron chose to start his visit by meeting with the people before he met with politicians.

Macron first met at the home of Fairouz, one of the most popular singers in the Arab world for the past 50 years and a unifying figure that transcends Lebanese politics. Afterward, he met with Lebanese politicians in the Pine Residence, the location of the leading French diplomat in Lebanon and a building packed with historic significance.

Lebanon’s European RootsOn Sept. 1, 1920, 100 years ago, Greater Lebanon was created under the direction of the French government, in the very same Pine Residence.

In the aftermath of World War i and the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, much of the Middle East was divided up among the victorious allied forces of Britain and France. Great Britain received much of modern-day Iraq, Jordan and the area of Israel. France, already having a long history in the eastern Mediterranean, received control of a great swath of Syria, including the territory of modern-day Lebanon.

However, before the French could secure Syria, many of the Arabs in the region sought autonomy over much of the territory. Some Arabs were particularly concerned about the area around Beirut, which was heavily populated by Maronite Christians, an offshoot of the Catholic Church. Aided by France, Mount Lebanon, as it was known then, had already achieved a level of

After a massive explosion rocked the city, Lebanese protesters took to the streets to show their anger at the government

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autonomy within the Ottoman Empire and did not share the ideal of Arab nationalism espoused by those who wanted to cast off French dominance.

The Maronite Christian rulers of Mount Lebanon called on France to not only rid the Arab nationalist forces from Mount Lebanon, but also create a larger state that would be called Greater Lebanon, inhabiting the same territory we know today as the state of Lebanon.

With a strong Catholic government in power in France, the Army answered the call, sending French Gen. Henri Gouraud to implement Greater Lebanon. When French forces landed in Beirut to put an end to the short-lived Arab government, Maronites and other Christians waving French flags cheered their arrival at the Beirut port. They hailed France as their “tender, loving mother” (Arabic, al-umm al-hanun). The Arab nationalists were run out of Beirut and defeated in July 1920 on the outskirts of Damascus.

Returning to the Pine Residence in Beirut, General Gouraud assembled with leaders of the Maronites and the other religious sects of the newly forming country to announce the establishment of the new state: Greater Lebanon.

One hundred years later, on September 1 this year, the leader of France was back in Lebanon and once

again meeting with Lebanese leaders to decide how to save the nation. As Macron said after the blast,

“France will never let Lebanon go. The heart of the French people still beats to the pulse of Beirut.” Some Lebanese once again were celebrating “France, the tender mother.”

Beyond France, influential commentators are calling for European forces to make their way to Lebanon. Ron Prosor, former Israeli ambassador to the UN and the United Kingdom, called on Europe to act immediately to “ensure that any foreign and humanitarian aid arriving in Lebanon would get to those who need it, not Hezbollah ... All the mechanisms and methods are already there. What is missing is the will and decision to implement them. We should not ask for whom the bell tolls—it tolls loud and clear for the leaders of Europe. If they don’t act now to save Lebanon from Hezbollah and Iran, they may never get another chance” (Jerusalem Post, August 9).

Macron is certainly answering the call. He is inter-vening to rid Lebanon of its corrupt system. “It’s a risky bet I’m making, I’m aware of it. … I’m putting the only thing I have on the table: my political capital,” Macron told Politico en route to Beirut from Paris.

Just prior to Macron’s visit, the Lebanese parliament announced it had selected a caretaker prime minister

Macron visits bombed-out Beirut on August 6 to great fanfare from the Lebanese

THIBAULT CAMUS/AFP/

Documents

CAN IT HAPPEN? - Watch Jerusalem · King Hezekiah’s Jerusalem 6 The Hebrew Year 5781—or Is It? 1 1 infographic Hezekiah Was Here 14 The Gezer Calendar 19 The Beirut Blast: Catalyst